Whatever you're about to do, it's incredibly important--and you're incredibly nervous. Here's how to get a quick shot of confidence.

Patricia D. Sadar - Leadership Strength Coach's insight:

Great advice in this article! No matter how confident you are, you will most definitely be faced with situations that will stretch you out of your comfort zone. Preparation is king to building confidence when coming face to face with new situations and challenges.

I particularly agree with:

- Anticipating objections

- Being prepared to respond

-Productively use up the excess fuel you have

Another easy tip we share is to avoid drinking caffeine, which artifically amplifies emotions.

Successful #Leaders don't do these things

1. They don't do the bare minimum; have you ever heard that saying, “The way you do anything is the way you do everything? “ Well, this especially hold true here…they give every task their all and always go way beyond.

2. They don't waste time; they work hard to stay on course. They know how easy it is to get distracted, yet they are disciplined in this area. They focus their time and energy on what matters most....not what matters least.

3. They don’t focus on problems – they focus on solutions. They don't lose sleep or complain about what they can't do. They shift their energy and resources on what is within their control.

4. They don't think they can do it alone; the most confident leaders are humble, and seek out advice, assistance, and expertise. It’s not about them; it’s about their teams, and accomplishing the goals!

5. They don't think that they always know best; the most confident leaders are curious to learn. They listen to the ideas of others. They listen to understand.

6. They don’t take things personal and let their ego get in the way of achieving goals and building relationships.

7. They don’t judge or criticize others. They stay humble, curious, and open to learn and understand.

What else do you think should be on the list? Would love to hear from you.

Some aspects of organizational culture are visible on the surface, like the tip of an iceberg, while others are implicit and submerged within the organization. Because these ingrained assumptions are tacit and below the surface, they are not easy to see or deal with, although they affect everything the organization does.

As an HR Professional I have been on all sides of change: As the person leading change initiatives inside the organization, as an external consultant partnering with senior leaders to execute change, and as the recipient of change inside the organization.

What I know to be true is this: Long are the days when we would say to ourselves..."once this change initiative is complete, things will go back to normal." The reality is we are living in a VUCA environment. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) Change is the new normal, and we as leaders are tasked with communicating effectively and connecting the dots for our organization.

It was always important for the entire team to understand where we are now, where we want to be, and what we as an organization need to do to get there. Once we confirmed our shared goals & confirmed roles, it was important that everyone understood the why -- the business reasons for the change and we all had the same picture of what success looked like with KPIs.

I would ask 3 quesions to adjust my change lens before planning or communications began:

In order for this change to be effective...

1. What do we as leaders need to know?

2. What do we need to do?

3. How do we need to be?

Then repeat these 3 questions for our staff?

1. What does our staff need to know? Is there anything that they need to learn, unlearn, or re-learn? Why should they care?

2. What are we asking our staff to do as a result of this change?

3. How do we want our staff to be?

Hope this article, and my humble opinion added value to you as a leader.

---If you have any questions, comments, or best practices about culture, change, or leadership…I am on it! My goal is to share thoughts, tools, and inspiration to help you leverage your strengths, and achieve your goals! Walt Disney said, "Whatever we have accomplished has been because other people have helped us." So don't be afraid to ask for help...that is what I am here for!

At an industry conference this week attendees agreed that one of the issues that concerns them most is culture. This is not a surprising outcome since the industry has seen the entrance of many other competitors and a disruption to business as usual.

Using the iceberg model we can illustrate why complex change like cultural transformation is so difficult. There is widespread knowledge that this kind of endeavor takes time and a lot of resources. Why? Because the heavier lifting needs to be done “below water” to ensure that there is complete understanding of impacts/challenges that the new normal poses to shared assumptions, perceptions, values, beliefs, traditions and feelings. Then plans must be created and implemented to support the learning and adjustment required for the new norms, traditions and procedures that come with transformation. This is not a quick program because under water is where we deal with the emotional and sometimes “messy” side of an organization. A good change program anticipates and prepares for the journey of transformation using the whole iceberg. Leveraging a good change partner is a common strategy that allows the organization to focus on the “above water” activities while the partner helps with the “under water” challenges.

If you’re thinking about culture change, know what you’re getting into and that there are no short cuts. However, if you’re dealing with disruption in your industry, and a strategy of improvements is no longer good enough, you may well want to ask yourself, “Can I afford not to undertake culture change to meet my business goals?”

There are perhaps many good questions leaders ask of their teammates each and every day. The starter list above could easily be replaced with ten others. These ten, however, represent the ten that have served me well over the last eighteen years as a senior leader. They solicit open conversation, deter quick “yes/no” responses, and maintain meaningful communication channels with the team.

The ability to ask great questions is a critically important skill for leaders. Questions determine the answer, and the course of a conversation. The moment a question is asked, the entire course of events can change. A well worded question is truly THAT powerful.

“All the money in the world, all the research and development resources in the world aren’t really worth a hoot, without innovative leadership. Money does not follow ideas; it follows leaders,” said Forbes Contributor Henry Doss in his recent post about innovation. Many organizations would like to create more innovative [...]

Although the ‘Great Man’ theory of leadership belongs to the scrapheap of history, its allure continues to mystify. Underlying this theory is the assumption that if the right man (yes, it is often assumed to be a man) for the job emerges, he will almost magically take control of a situation and lead a group of people into safety or success. While such leaders are rare, there are times when a singular individual steps out from the crowd and serves as a paragon of leadership.

One such individual was Alexander the Great; one of history’s most famous warriors and a legend of almost divine status in his own lifetime. He falls into the elite category of individuals who changed the history of civilisation and shaped the present world as we know it.

A recent study shows those who are in tune with their colleagues' emotions may be more financially successful.

Patricia D. Sadar - Leadership Strength Coach's insight:

Interesting study supports that Emotionally Intelligent people make more money.

Awareness is the beginning to all change, and emotionally intelligent people not only strive for self mastery -- to understand, manage, and use their strengths...they are aware of how their actions impact people and situations.

What are your thoughts? How can you tell when you a leader is emotionally intelligent?

---- If you have any questions around Emotional Intelligence or Leadership...I am on it! My goal is to share thoughts, tools, and inspiration to help you leverage your strengths, and help your teams do the same! I am grateful and fortunate to work with best in class global organizations and talented leaders, and I love to pass along lessons I gained from my experiences.

What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it’s someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means taking on big responsibility.

The Art of Leadersheep - #Leadership Success

If only all leaders could apply at least half of that! ... We all would be learning something and not just following someone, we all would be creating and not beeing created, we all would be improving and not beeing reprobed...

I love research that supports what most of us have seen for ourselves. There is such a strong ROI on investing in leadership talent. I was just having this conversation yesterday with an executive.

I believe that leaders are alot like computers. Just like our computers, we need to make sure that we invest a significant amount of time and money into making sure that we have the most updated software and virus protection for our leaders. Most leaders are running off of programming from years ago...Isn't it time to reboot, get the viruses out, and update our programming so that we can be aligned with the organization's network (goals), communicate more effectively, and work more efficiently.

As leaders when we stop learning we stop growing. If that happens, what happens to our teams?

---If you have any questions, comments, or best practices about leadership…I am on it! My goal is to share thoughts, tools, and inspiration to help you leverage your strengths, and help your teams do the same! Walt Disney said, "Whatever we have accomplished has been because other people have helped us." So don't be afraid to ask for help...that is what I am here for!

The human ingenuity within any organisation are it's greatest competitive advantage. Yet according to the latest statistics, over half of todays workers are disengaged . When leaders are committed and actively working to engage, inspire and embolden – they unleash untapped potential and raise the bar not just on productivity, but on the value their organization contributes to all stakeholders.

Patricia D. Sadar - Leadership Strength Coach's insight:

As a leadership coach I get so revved up when I hear about organizations that have cultivated this type of culture! Trust and Appreciation are part of the environment, and every employee is empowered, engaged, and inspired to contribute. Walking around an organization like this is a bit like electricity with the buzz, energy, and positivity!

Another interesting thing happens is that employees seem to transform into entrepreneurs who are committed and "own it" each day. They know their role, what is expected of them, are accountable, and make decisions each day confidently to solve problems, take care of customers, and make the organization better.

In this type of environment each person knows their boundaries, and makes a difference each day. They are empowered and not afraid of making mistake, because they know that their leaders and the organization have their backs. What a great feeling that to work in an organization where you could not fail, because your entire team had your back, and mistakes are seen as stepping stones towards growth.

What are your thoughts? Have you worked at an organization like this or do you currently? Would love to hear from you.

---If you have any questions, comments, or best practices about organizational culture or leadership…I am on it! My goal is to share thoughts, tools, and inspriation to help you leverage your strengths, and help your teams do the same! I am grateful and so fortuante to travel the world as a speaker and coach. I get to work with some of the best in class organizations, and I love to pass along lessons I learn from you to others.

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